Team Rocket:Ash Style
by Fiery Charizard
Summary: Ash is forced to become part of Team Rocket! how's he gonna get out of this mess? Please R


Team Rocket: Ash Style.   
  
"Team Rocket's blasting off againnnnnnnnn!"   
"Bye-Bye!" shouted Misty after the unfortunate Team Rocket flew into the sky only to land somewhere else very painfully.   
"Well now that they're gone, can we please carry on?" asked Ash sighing.   
"Yeah. Lets head for nearest Pokemon Centre which is a couple of miles down this path in Emerald City" replied Brock. Emerald City is somewhere in between New Bark Town and Blackthorn City. It's a quiet town that is normally only visited by passing Pokemon Trainers.   
The trio walked down the path tired and hungry (well Ash was anyway). They had beaten Team Rocket so many times since they had left Blackthorn, where Ash had won his final Johto Badge. On every corner Jesse, James and Meowth had appeared and tried to capture Pikachu (and obviously hadn't succeeded). Ash's Pokemon were now exhausted and needed to be treated. So they trudged on.   
"Brock are we almost there yet?" moaned Ash.   
"I'd say we have about another hour's walking to do" he answered.   
"Pika" moaned Pikachu, who had been asleep on Ash's head. Ash's stomach let out a loud growl. Misty gave him a frustrated look.   
"Hey it ain't my fault that we haven't eaten since last night!" he exclaimed.   
"Well you were the one who wanted to eat several times yesterday! If you hadn't have been such a pig we'd be able to eat something, Mr Pokemon Master! So it is your fault!" Misty shouted at him. Ash looked at her sheepishly. What could he say? He had asked a few times for them to stop and eat, but he had been hungry.   
"Pikachu wanted to as well!" he said quietly.   
"Pika! Pikapi Pikachu Pika!" said Pikachu angrily, hitting Ash's head with a small paw.   
"Ok people quit it we'll be there soon! Then you can eat as much as you want Ash" said Brock reasonably. So they carried on walking in silence.   
Meanwhile, in Emerald City, Two suspicious looking people stood silently outside of a door waiting to go in. They were dressed in black, with white boots and gloves. One had short green hair, the other had long orange hair.   
"Come in" called a menacing voice. They looked at each other then entered.   
Slowly, Jesse, James and Meowth walked up the hill. They were all bruised from their last blasting off.   
"I'm sick of being humiliated because of the twerps" said Jesse unhappily.   
"I know the feeling. But we've tried everything we know to catch Pikachu and we haven't even come close to getting him. So what are we supposed to do?" replied James.   
"Meowth, why don't you come up with an idea for once?" asked Jesse.   
"I'm too tired to" answered the feline. He, like Jesse and James, was hurt, hungry and humiliated. He didn't know what they could do to finally get Pikachu. They all knew that Giovanni was getting extremely angry at them for not getting Pikachu after being on the job for over 2 years. They had followed Ash through Kanto, the Orange Islands and now Johto and still hadn't captured him. Meowth's head hung low. How pathetic were they? Everyone else seemed to be living the life of luxury compared to them.   
"It's getting dark. We should find a bench somewhere or something like that" mumbled James quietly. They wandered to the nearest bench along the road they were travelling, and slumped down wearily on it. James lay down on the end, with Jesse next to him and Meowth huddled behind her. Whilst Jesse and Meowth fell asleep, James lay thinking. He thought about many things. Would he have been happier staying with his parents at their estate after Jesse-bell had left? Why did he choose to join Team Rocket? He had had the money to have been able to do anything and everything he had ever dreamed of doing. Why did he leave that life, only to become part of a Team that everyone hated. Now the only things he had left in his life were Jesse and Meowth. Finally his thought turned to dreams.   
Ash was doing the same as James had been. He stared at the ceiling until his eyes became sore. He also thought of what life would have been like if he hadn't have become a Pokemon Trainer. Though he loved the travelling he had done and the adventures he had had, he stilled missed home. Ash thought of where his father may be and what he was doing. Would he ever have to battle his father? Slowly, Ash came out of his thoughts and looked around him. The small room was cosy with 2 bunk beds, 3 of which were occupied. Pikachu lay sound asleep beside making his little "cha" that he made while he was asleep. Ash smiled. Through all the weariness and hunger, he found that he, Pikachu, Misty and Brock would always come out on top. Sleep finally took over his senses.   
"Pikaaaaaachuuuuuuuu!" shouted the small mouse, as it fired a thunderbolt whilst he was still in bed the next morning.   
"Pikachuuuuu!" cried Ash, as he was shocked into waking up. Pikachu finally stopped his thunderbolt and looked apologetically at Ash.   
"What's the matter Pikachu?" asked Ash, "did you have a bad dream or somethin?". Pikachu nodded.   
"Oh well. It doesn't matter. It was only a dream" Ash told Pikachu, giving him a little half smile.   
Outside the sun was rising over the mountains facing their window. Small houses littered the landscape, leading to the mountain. Early morning sunlight glowed down on the city like a fiery carpet. Ash looked at the clock on the wall. It was 4:30am. He got out of bed (almost falling down the ladder on the side of the bunk bed), and slipped his gloves, jacket and hat on. Misty woke and looked at Ash.   
"What time is it Ash?" she asked him sleepily.   
"4:40am" he replied.   
"Where are you goin at this time of the morning?" she quizzed him.   
"I want to go for a walk to think" he answered quietly so he didn't wake the still snoring Brock.   
"Must be a new experience for you" Misty said cheekily, "no, being serious, don't be too long out ok? Be back for breakfast."   
"Since when have I been late for a meal?" he joked, "see ya later." He smiled at her then left with Pikachu balanced on his shoulder as usual. He walked along the corridor quietly so he didn't wake anyone who wasn't up yet. He walked into the brightly lit reception area. Nurse Joy was standing, like always, behind the desk with her Blissey.   
"Good morning Ash. Your up early" she said to him smiling.   
"Morning Nurse Joy" Ash smiled back.   
"Your Pokemon are fully healed" she told Ash, handing him the small square tray that held his Poke balls.   
"Thanks. I'll be back later" he once again smiled at her. He took his Poke balls off the tray, shrunk them, and attached them to their places on his belt. He handed the tray back and went outside.   
As Ash walked he stared at the sun rising gracefully over the mountains. He sighed and walked on, hands in pockets with Pikachu sitting peacefully on his shoulder, holding his short, black hair for support so he wouldn't fall off. He too, like Ash, was in deep thought. His mind flew back to the day he and Ash first met. Something was bothering him. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was defiantly there.   
Further up the road, Team Rocket were slowly waking. James sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily. As he looked around him, he spotted Ash walking up the road with Pikachu. James hadn't ever seen such a perfect opportunity to get Pikachu. Quickly, but quietly he shook Jesse until she woke.   
"What is it James? Can't whatever it is wait?" she mumbled.   
"It's the Twerp and Pikachu, by themselves! This is the moment we need!" he whispered urgently. She shot up into a sitting position and looked where James pointed. "So what do we do?" he asked. Jesse thought for a moment and whispered her plan in James' ear. He nodded in agreement. Meowth had already woken up and followed Jesse and James into the woods behind the bench.   
Ash walked slowly, knowing he didn't have to rush back. As he walked, Pikachu's ears pricked up.   
"What's the matter Pikachu?" he asked the Pokemon.   
"Pikachu Pikapi pika" he answered Ash quietly, pointing to the trees on their left with his small finger. Ash looked and saw the sun shining from a small rectangular shape. He winked at Pikachu and carried on walking. As he came to the bench which Team Rocket had been sleeping on earlier, Jesse, James and Meowth jumped out in front of him. Ash didn't look even half as surprised as they had wanted him to.   
"Prepare for trouble"   
"And make it double"   
"To protection the world from devastation"   
"To unite all people's within our nation"   
"Jesse"   
"James"   
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed-"   
"We know the rest ok? We don't really want to hear it again" Ash told them in an annoyed tone.   
"Well now we've got you exactly where we want you" laughed Jesse evilly.   
"Oh really? Where's that exactly ?" Ash asked.   
"Where you are. Your Pokemon are at the Pokemon Centre and you're here with your Pikachu by yourself" answered James triumphantly.   
"1 right answer and 1 wrong answer" smirked Ash "the right one is that I'm by myself with Pikachu, but my Pokemon are rested and ready to battle."   
"Oh" Meowth gulped.   
"Arbok! I choose you!" Jesse shouted.   
Ash half turned as if to leave, but turned like lightning throwing a Poke ball. "Cyndaquil I choose you!" he shouted. A bright light flash as Cyndaquil popped out of it's Poke ball.   
"Arbok, Poison Sting!"   
"Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!" Cyndaquil's back glowed and burst into flames. Arbok's Poison Stings missed their target, where as Cyndaquil's Flamethrower hit the snake and Team Rocket.   
"Pikachu use your Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.   
"Pikaaaaaaaa Chuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" Jesse, James and Meowth glowed and flew into the air as Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit them.   
"Team Rocket's blasting off already!" they shouted as they flew up into the sky.   
"you two did great. Return Cyndaquil" Ash exclaimed. As he walked back down the path towards the Pokemon Centre (and breakfast), he was unaware that he was being watched. The Watcher slid down the tree they were in and ran stealthy towards Emerald City, avoiding the road and Ash's eyesight.   
When Ash got back to the Pokemon Centre, he found Misty and Brock coming out of their room.   
"Hey Ash. Have a good walk?" asked Brock yawning.   
"Yeah. I even managed to beat Team Rocket along the way" Ash answered laughing.   
"Damn! I wanted to battle them" sighed Misty, "I need to battle, even if I know I'll win." He gave her an apologetic look.   
"You can battle them next time we run into them" Ash said grinning.   
"Ok" she smiled back at him "What are we gonna do today?"   
"We could carry on to New Bark Town if you wanted" answered Brock, "We've only gotta go along this route leading South and we could be there in a few days."   
"Cool. Let's go!" replied Ash enthusiastically. Before they left the Pokemon Centre, they said goodbye to Nurse Joy, who wished them luck on their journey and in the Johto League.   
A shadowy figure crept silently up to the door which the voice had appeared from. They knocked quietly on the door and entered.   
"Sir he's leaving the City heading for New Bark Town" the figure reported.   
"Good. You know what you must do, now go!" the other person said loudly. The Black Rocket saluted and left as quietly as he had entered. Giovanni   
sat stroking his Persian, whilst chuckling loudly.   
The day had gone on pretty uneventfully. Ash had had one battle with a Trainer from Emerald and had won. The only other relatively interesting thing that had happened to them that day was that a flock of Pidgey had gone over head. So Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu were bored stiff. Pikachu lay across Ash's bag looking at the shapes of the clouds as they move by. They were completely unaware of the several people following them.   
"Hey guys can we stop? It's gonna get dark soon" said Ash looking at the sky.   
"Might as well, seeing as there isn't anything else to do" answered Brock.   
"I'm surprised Team Rocket haven't shown up today," Misty said quiet loudly, "maybe somethin's wrong with them?"   
"Wouldn't have thought so. Probably tired of being beaten all the time," remarked Ash. Brock chose a small clearing in the forest and stared laying things out that they needed.   
"Ok, someone needs to get us some fire wood" he said. He and Misty both looked at Ash.   
"What! No way! I always get it. It's someone else's turn" Ash grumbled.   
"Well I have to get dinner ready so I can't go" remarked Brock.   
"And I need to feed Togepi" explained Misty. Ash sighed loudly.   
"C'mon Pikachu, let's go get some" he said to his Pokemon.   
"Pika" Pikachu signed. So Ash and Pikachu walked off into the wooded areas, looking as usual for firewood, when Ash would rather look for Pokemon. As they walked, a small blue dusty mist surrounded them. Pikachu fell asleep quietly on Ash's shoulder.   
"Hey Pikachu, I'm really tired" yawned Ash loudly. He leaned against a tree and slid to the ground asleep.   
Back at the camp, Misty was getting worried. Ash should have been back by now, there's plenty of wood around the place, she thought.   
"Hey Brock, where do you think Ash had got to?" she asked.   
"I dunno. He's probably found a wild Pokemon and he's trying to catch it" Brock replied thoughtfully, "if he isn't back in half an hour then we'll go looking for he ok?"   
"Yeah ok" Misty signed, casting a worried glance out into the woodlands.   
Half an hour had passed and there was still no sign of Ash or Pikachu.   
"Brock, I want to go look for Ash" Misty announced worriedly.   
"Ok, we'll both go" he answered packing his things into his bag. As the walked along the route Ash had taken earlier, they shouted his name out.   
Ash woke slowly. His head was drumming like a hammer. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked around him. He was in a small dark room, with a single dull lamp. Ash looked down at himself and yelled. He wasn't wearing his normal black t-shirt, blue jacket and jeans, but a black long-sleeved shirt which had a large red "R" on the front along with black trousers and white boots. He still had his hat on though. He also found that his Pokemon were gone from his belt. Pikachu also woke and looked slowly at Ash.   
"Pika!" he shouted loudly, looking at Ash clothes. Ash looked about him, looking to see if his clothes were anywhere around. They weren't. This can't be happening, he thought.   
"Why me? These things always happen to me" he cried. He stood up and walked to the only door leading in and out of the room. He slammed bodily against it to see if it would budge. It wouldn't not matter how many times he hit against it, it would move an inch.   
"Pikachu, try a thunderbolt on the hinges, see if that'll work" Ash asked his Pokemon.   
"Pikaaachuuuuuuu" he shouted as his thunder bolt hit the hinges. It didn't work.   
"You tried Pikachu. We'll just have to wait" he said quietly sitting down on the bed. Pikachu ran across and sat quietly down beside Ash.   
Misty and Brock were still wandering around the vast woodlands looking for Ash and Pikachu.   
"Brock I don't think we'll find him tonight" Misty said quietly.   
"I think your right. We'll camp hear and if we can't find him tomorrow then we'll go back to Emerald City and tell Officer Jenny" Brock replied sensibly. She nodded and got her bed things out from her bag. As she lay there, she thought about where Ash could be and what was he doing. Finally she feel asleep.   
Ash was actually standing in front of Giovanni, between two Rocket Grunts. Pikachu had been left in the room where they had woken.   
"Ash I suppose you are wondering why you are here and why you are dressed like a Team Rocket member, yes?" he asked.   
"Not really. It seemed pretty normal to me" Ash answered sarcastically.   
"Sarcasm will get you nowhere. You are here because I want you to become a Member of my Team" explained Giovanni.   
"You've got to be kidding!" exclaimed Ash.   
"No I am not. You will be with 2 people I believe you already know quite well" he answered. Out of the corner of the room, Butch and Cassidy stepped forth.   
"Oh great. You two" Ash sighed.   
"You could be happier to see us y'know" replied Cassidy sarcastically.   
"Anyway, where are my Pokemon?" he shouted.   
"They're safe with me. You will get them back one at a time over time" explained Giovanni making sure he went over each detail, "if you do not cooperate then you won't get them back. To start with, you'll only have your Pikachu as a Pokemon then your team will go back to it's original 6, understood?"   
"Yeah I understand it but I want them back now not when you feel like it!" Ash shouted angrily. Giovanni nodded to the 2 grunts beside Ash and they took him back to the first room with a lot of protest from him along the way.   
As the door was locked behind him, Ash hit it with his fist and sank the floor. Quickly, tears started to fall unchecked down his face. Pikachu ran over to him and sat beside Ash. He picked up Pikachu and hugged him tightly, burying his face into Pikachu soft yellow fur.   
Morning had passed and Misty had suggested that they head back to Emerald City and report Ash missing to Officer Jenny. Jenny had taken quick action. She had a picture of Ash enlarged and copied, then stuck all over the City. She had policemen and Growlithes out searching the forest and asking people if they had seen Ash at any point since last night. Misty still didn't feel any less worried than before. She sat with Brock and Togepi in the Emerald Police Station waiting for any news that would lead them to the where a bouts of Ash. Misty felt completely helpless. Jenny had told them to stay at the Station. Slowly, night fell and Brock wanted to go to the Pokemon Centre for the night. Misty rose sullenly and followed him.   
Ash was sweating feverishly in his sleep. In his dream, he saw Misty and Brock standing outside the Pokemon Centre smiling. Ash ran towards them calling their names. As he ran they moved away from him, into the Centre. He followed and as he ran the corridors and rooms became a maze. At every corner he saw Giovanni standing laughing with his Persian. The laughter was ringing in his ears. It was the only thing he could hear. He tried to drown it out by putting his hands over his ears, but all that happened was that it got louder and louder. He shouted "Stop it! Stop it ! Stop it!" repeatedly.   
He woke with a start, breathing heavily, his narrow chest heaving. He wiped a bead of sweat from his dampened forehead. As the room didn't have a window and he didn't have a watch, Ash had no idea of what the time was. He heard voices outside his door. From his position in the room, he couldn't hear what was being said and before he had time to go to the door it opened.   
"Time to get up!" Butch shouted at Ash, who reluctantly rose and shook Pikachu in order to wake him.   
"C'mon Pikachu time to get up" he said quietly. Pikachu, in response yawned and climbed onto Ash's shoulder. Ash walked to the door and followed Butch out into another room.   
"You start your 1st mission today. We're going out to the forest, the one near here and we're gonna catch some Pokemon. You won't be allowed to keep any of the Pokemon that you catch, understand?" explained Cassidy.   
"Yeah" Ash replied sullenly. They walked out through a different door which lead to a back alley and came to a white van.   
"You in the back" ordered Butch nastily. Ash climbed in and sat down. The door slammed behind him and Butch slid into the driver's seat. The engine started and they moved out of the alley into the main road. Whilst they were moving, a policeman stood in front of them and flagged them down.   
"Don't say a thing got it?" ordered Cassidy watching the policeman. Ash nodded regretfully. As they stopped, the policeman walked to Cassidy's window.   
"Good morning" he said, "I was wondering if you had seen this boy anywhere. His name is Ash Ketchum and he went missing 2 days ago." He held up a poster of Ash so that Butch and Cassidy could see it.   
"No, I'm sorry but we haven't seen anyone like him around" said Cassidy smiling apologetically.   
"Well if you do see him could you please let us know immediately" asked the officer.   
"We will. I hope you find him" answered Butch. He pulled out into the road and carried on driving.   
"Isn't that nice. They've got a search party out for you" said Cassidy sarcastically. Ash glared at her hatefully. They carried on along the road, out of the City and along towards the forest. After about half an hour the van stopped.   
Back in Emerald City, Misty and Brock had just arrived at the Station and had asked if there had been any news on Ash. Officer Jenny shook her head sadly.   
"We've asked everyone that has come in or out of the City. No one's seen him. But we won't stop looking until he's been found" said Jenny reassuringly.   
"Thank-you. It means a lot to us" replied Brock smiling weakly. Misty sat on a chair her heads in her hands. "We'll find him Misty don't worry" he said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders.   
In the forest, Ash, Pikachu, Butch and Cassidy were standing beside the van.   
"Don't try to seek off just because we won't be with you, because you have a small tracking device attached to you, so we'll find you wherever you go. If you see anyone then run. Don't let them find you, else you'll never get your Pokemon back, ok?" explained Cassidy frostily. Ash nodded in understanding.   
"We'll come a find you when we have to go back. You can't catch anymore than 5 Pokemon for obvious reasons. Only catch strong Pokemon and none of the same type" said Butch flatly. He and Cassidy moved off in a different direction to Ash.   
Ash walked silently. Pikachu sat miserably on his shoulder. Together they looked more miserable than an Onix that had been left out in the rain.   
"Do you ever think we'll see Brock and Misty again Pikachu?" Ash asked quietly.   
"Pi. Pika Pika Pikapi pikachupi Pikachu" he replied meaning, yeah. Don't worry Ash, we'll see Misty again. At that point an Eevee walked out of the bushes to the left. Ash took up his battle stance.   
"Pikachu go!" he shouted, "use your Quick Attack."   
"Pika!" said the small mouse as he sped off. He hit the Eevee, who retaliated with a take down. Pikachu dodged it but just by a whisker.   
"Pikachu use your thunderbolt!"   
"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuuuuuuu!" The bolt hit the Eevee who fell down defeated.   
"Poke Ball go" Ash shouted as he threw the ball at it. The Eevee glowed red and vanished into the ball. It shook for a while and then the light turned off at the front. Ash walked towards it and picked it up.   
"Good work Pikachu" he praised the small Pokemon. Pikachu climbed up onto his shoulder once more.   
It was around noon and Ash had caught all 5 Pokemon: Eevee, Girafarig, Murkrow, Aipom and Mareep. Both he and Pikachu were hungry. Pikachu was now sat on Ash's head looking around, suddenly he spotted a pear tree.   
"Pikapi!" he said pointing to the tree.   
"Great. Let's have some for lunch seeing as we don't have anything else" replied Ash grinning for the 1st time since he had been part of Team Rocket. He ran over to it and picked off a few of the juice fruits. He sat down and gave one to Pikachu. He bit hungrily into it enjoying every mouthful. He hadn't eaten since the night before. Once they hadn't eaten enough, they started again.   
Butch and Cassidy had also caught some Pokemon. Butch pulled a small flat object with a screen from his pocket. Watching it carefully he said, "he's runnin somewhere. Quite far away from us. What do you think he's up to?"   
"He's probably met up with someone and he's runnin from 'em." she replied.   
Cassidy was right. Ash had been walking along a narrow track, when one of the searchers had spotted him.   
"Hey you! Stay where you are!" he shouted running towards Ash, who immediately ran as fast as he could. If the searcher caught up with him, then he knew he would never see his Pokemon again. So he kept running. All the searchers were now hard on Ash's heels. His mind raced. What could he do? He knew that he couldn't keep this pace up for long. I know! he thought.   
"Pikachu use your thundershock and slow 'em down!" he shouted. Pikachu turned so that he was facing the searchers and sent a thundershock at them, shocking the entire group. They stopped running to massage feeling back into their shocked limbs. Ash however kept running. He found a tall tree and climbed it into the leafy foliage above. Breathing heavily, he watched the policemen below as they started running again. He stayed in the tree for an hour and then started climbing down carefully. Near the base, a hand grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him down roughly.   
"What the hell were you doing hiding in a damn tree?" Butch shouted angrily at Ash.   
"I was being followed by policeman and this was the nearest place to hide ok? You told me to run from anyone I saw, so I did!" he shouted back, just as angry as Butch, who raised a hand as if to strike Ash, but electricity started firing from Pikachu cheeks as a warning. Butch lowered his hand.   
"At least you used some sense" said Cassidy coolly. Butch pushed Ash in front of him and said menacingly, "get movin!" They started walking back to the van in silence.   
"Officer Jenny, we've just heard from our searchers in the forest that a boy fitting Ash's description was seen with a Pikachu, but wearing different clothes" reported a policeman.   
"Great! Did they bring him back?" she asked.   
"I'm afraid not. Apparently they saw him and he ran off" he said quietly.   
"That's odd. Ash wouldn't normally run off" murmured Brock.   
"Unless he had to. He cares a lot about his Pokemon, so if they're involved then he'll do anything to protect them" Misty explained to Jenny.   
"Tell them to keep searching, he may still be there" she ordered. The 2nd policeman saluted a walked out. As he walked out Delia Ketchum came in. she had been contacted by Officer Jenny when Ash had 1st been reported missing.   
"Has there been any news?" she asked worriedly.   
"He's been seen, but he ran from our searchers when they found him wandering in the forest" Jenny explained again. Delia sat down with Brock, Misty and Jenny as they related the story to them.   
Meanwhile, Ash was back again standing in front of Giovanni.   
"You have down well Ash. You completed your task with minimum difficulty and followed out your instructions well. For this I will give you back one of your Pokemon, your Totodile" he said, pushing the poke ball across the table towards Ash. Ash picked it up, shrunk it and then attached it to his belt.   
"Thanks" he murmured gratefully.   
"We will talk again tomorrow. Until then do as you are told and do not cause unnecessary trouble. But remember this: if you do cause trouble or fail a task then your rewards will be taken away from you" Giovanni explained nodding to Butch and Cassidy. "Take him back to his room, then come back as I wish to speak to you."   
They nodded and lead Ash out of the room. Once Ash was by himself he released Totodile from his poke ball. The crocodile ran to Ash and hugged him.   
"We're getting there Pikachu" he said happily.   
"Pi Pikachu" Pikachu replied.   
Back in Giovanni's office, Butch and Cassidy stood in front of their boss.   
"How is he doing from your point of view?" he asked them.   
"He has guts and brains, unlike a lot of people, usually they have one or the other" replied Cassidy.   
"But he's also insolent. He stands up for himself and his Pikachu is very protective of him" Butch added.   
"Hmm. Well we could use someone with brains and insolence can easily be cured. I want to know how he will do tomorrow with your next mission. You are to go back to Blackthorn City and the museum that's near there. I want you to steal any valuable artefacts that are there. We'll see how he reacts then" Giovanni explained.   
"Yes sir" they chorused.   
Misty, Brock and Delia were back at the Pokemon Centre for the night. Delia had invaded the kitchens and was busy cooking meals. She had said that it helps her to relax when she tense or worried. Even though she knew that Ash could take care of himself, she still worried about him a lot. Misty and Brock marvelled at her. She was the best cook they knew, she was better than Brock at cooking some things. Once they had all eaten, they made their way to their room. Misty and Delia were on the 2 lower beds and Brock on the top. There was once again 3 beds occupied, 1 empty belonging to Ash.   
He slept peacefully that night unlike the night before. He had been extremely tired from walking all day, running and climbing up and down trees. Life was so much easier when you were a sleep. No work to be done, and no where to go. Just dreams. Someone banged loudly on the door. Ash woke with a start. Realising it was just Butch again he got up called Pikachu and left the room. Again he followed Butch and Cassidy down to Giovanni's office.   
"Good morning Ash. I hope you slept well" he said politely.   
"As well as I can in a small dark room with a tiny bed in it, with people banging on the doors all the time" Ash replied shooting an accusing glance at Butch.   
"You are on another mission today and if you complete this one well then instead of having a Pokemon back you will have a better room than the one you have now" Giovanni told him. A broom cupboard is better than that thing, Ash thought.   
"1st you will go and have breakfast then you will leave for the mission, which Butch and Cassidy will explain to you once you get there." He watched them as they walked out of the room. Ash walked down the corridor, past his room and many others, until they came to a small cafeteria. A few other Rocket members were there but no one else. Ash ate in silence, aware of the others watching him from their tables. Once he had finished, he followed Cassidy outside to the same van they used the day before. Quietly he got into the back. Where was he going this time? He didn't have a clue.   
Misty stretched and sat up. She had had another almost sleepless night. She knew that until Ash was found, she wouldn't have a peaceful night. Quietly she put her trainers on and walked out of the room. She found Delia in the kitchen making breakfast.   
"Good morning Misty" she said pleasantly, "did you have a good sleep?"   
"No not really" Misty admitted. She watched as Ash's mother raced here and there stirring pots, chopping vegetables and checking things in the oven. How does she do did? Misty wondered. Her son is missing, God knows where and she still manages to do anything she normally does.   
"What's for breakfast Mrs Ketchum?" she asked politely.   
"Toast to start with and practically anything you want that's sensible to eat for breakfast" she replied airily.   
"Great! I'll go wake Brock" Misty said as she sped off towards the bedrooms.   
The glossy white van stopped. Butch and Cassidy climbed into the back with Ash.   
"We're parked behind the Blackthorn Museum. We've been told to steal anything valuable from there. We have to wait until it gets dark before we can start. You're gonna come with us and take anything that looks worth something" Butch explained.   
"What! No way! I'm not gonna take things that don't belong to me or you so you can stuff that idea right now!" Ash shouted angrily. He had always been told never to steal from others for any reason what so ever.   
"If you don't then you won't get anything!" Cassidy shouted back.   
"I don't care" Ash screamed at them, "I won't ever take from another just to please you or anyone else!"   
"Fine! Then you'll stay here and feel the consequences when we go back" Butch said fuming. He got out with Cassidy and slammed to door shut and locked it.   
"See if I care!" Ash shouted through the door. He turned to Pikachu and looked apologetic. "I'm sorry Pikachu. I just hate them so much, I can't help but shout at them." Pikachu smiled and nodded. He punched the air and danced around like a boxer, showing Ash what he would do if he was human. He laughed at the antics of his friend. "Maybe I should" he laughed, "they couldn't beat me in a fight after my brilliant training from a pro like you!" Pikachu stood still, crossed his small arms and did what he thought was a noble look. Ash fell about laughing hysterically. When he eventually calmed down he thought about what he had done. He had caused more trouble than a group of Charizard fighting. What could he do now? He didn't care if he had to stay in that awful little room as long as they didn't hurt any of his Pokemon. That was the last thing he wanted right now. "We've gotta do somethin Pikachu" he said thoughtfully.   
"Pika Pika" Pikachu replied. So they both sat silently trying to think of a way to get out of the mess they were in. Then it struck Ash.   
"Pikachu, I've got it! Here's what we'll do........."   
Brock sighed. They were back in Jenny's office.   
"Officer Jenny, can't we go out to help look for Ash?" Brock asked.   
"I think we should. He won't run from us, especially not me" Delia added, backing Brock up.   
"Well I suppose you could as long as you stay with the main party" Jenny said giving in.   
"Great! Let's go now" Misty exclaimed loudly. Jenny led them out to a car that was just about to leave. She went to the driver and told him that they were Ash's friends and family and that they were to go with the main group of searchers. They got in and headed up to the forest so they could join the searchers in their quest to find Ash.   
Night had fallen slowly as Ash and Pikachu waited patiently. Butch and Cassidy had returned once to the van, but hadn't spoken to him. He now decided it was dark enough. There was nothing across the back of the driver and passenger seats, so Ash only had to scramble (in a very undignified manner) over the top of the seats to be in the front. Pikachu followed him. They searched for a lock on the inside but it was one of those vans that didn't have locks on the insides. Unwinding a window, Ash said quietly, "you 1st Pikachu." The small mouse jumped out of the window and landed safely on the ground beside the van. It was harder for Ash as he was to big to just jump out of the window. He breathed in and squeezed carefully out and landed beside his friend, who jumped up on his shoulder. Ash found that they were parked in a small wood. He started to run into the woods, then as he went deep into it, he changed direction so that he was heading towards Emerald City.   
Butch and Cassidy had finished at the museum to find the van empty.   
"Damn kid!" Butch said through gritted teeth.   
"He can't have gone far" Cassidy remarked, staring out into the woodlands, "we'll catch him up don't worry." She climbed into the drivers seat and waited for Butch to get in. She drove off in the same direction Ash was going.   
Ash had slowed down. No one seemed to be following him. Something pricked the back of his neck gently. He sighed and fell.   
"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted. He ran to Ash's head and looked at him. He was unconscious. Darks figures surrounded him and Ash. They picked Ash up and carried him to a nearby van. All Pikachu could do was follow them.   
Ash woke in a different room to his normal one. The walls were pure white and bright lights shined everywhere. At 1st he couldn't see because of them, so he had to wait until he could see clearly, then he sat up. Someone pushed him back down.   
"You aren't gettin up just yet. You took quite a nasty hit on your head when we knocked you out" said a doctor as he stood staring at Ash.   
"Well I ain't stayin here" Ash replied once again trying to get up. The doctor nodded and Rocket Grunts came and held Ash on the bed. The doctor produced a need off of a bench and said, "Ash unless you want this again I suggest that you stay where you are."   
"Ok ok, just let go of me will ya?" Ash muttered. He was released and the doctor started wondering around the bed, checking this, that and the other.   
"Do you have any kind of headache or any other type of ache?" he was asked.   
"Well yeah what else do you expect?" he answered moodily. He could feel the sizable lump on the side of his head which constantly throbbed.   
"When can I go?" he said folding his arms, whilst watching the doctor.   
"When I say you're ready and not before" the doctor told him. He took out a long sharp looking needle. "This may hurt but you need it." He moved towards Ash.   
"You ain't stickin no needle in my arm" Ash said trying to move away from the needle. Lying in hospital beds was one thing, but needles were another.   
"Come on Ash you can cooperate y'know" he was told abruptly. He looked at the shiny point of the needle and didn't want to cooperate. He watched it as if he was hypnotised. He was unaware of a nurse coming up on his other side, with one that was equally sharp. She took hold of his hand tightly and stabbed the needle in. Ash cried out in pain.   
"See? That wasn't so bad" she said smiling. She then attached a drip to it.   
Ash looked hatefully at her.   
"Doctor, we've just had another patient in" another nurse called.   
"Ok, let's go" he answered and walked out of the room. Ash was left by himself. I've gotta find Pikachu was his 1st thought. But where is my room from here? He looked around. Through a window in the door, he could see a Grunt guarding the door. There weren't any other ways in or out. He needed to hide, but where? Then Ash saw it. A trolley with a cover over it with instruments on it. He sat up. Carefully, he took hold of the drip needle and pulled it out, wincing whilst he did. He dropped it on the bed beside him. He slid off of the bed and stood swaying slightly. As he walked to the trolley he heard voices outside. Quickly he lifted the sheet up on the trolley and climbed onto the shelf beneath it. The voices moved away from his door and back down the corridor. Breathing a sigh of relief, he waited until someone came to take the trolley out.   
Misty had spent the day searching fruitlessly for Ash. She had kept her determination up and told herself that they would find him or he would find them. Brock looked a bit happier now that he was doing something to help instead of sitting in the Police Station all day long. Misty had lost count of how many days Ash had been missing. Most people would have stopped looking by now, but since he had been seen the searchers had felt that they had to go on. Delia had gone back to Jenny's office in case Ash tried to contact them. She knew that the only thing that they could do was wait.   
Meanwhile, Ash's trolley was on the move. The nurse that took it thought that Ash had gone out, so she didn't suspect he was actually under her trolley until he had climbed out from under it and started to run.   
"Somebody, stop that kid!" she shouted urgently. Ash dodged any Grunts that stood in his way and carried on running as fast as his legs could go at the point in time. He chanced a quick look behind him and ran straight into Butch.   
"What the-?" he shouted. Before Ash could run away from Butch, he grabbed him by his arms tightly. "You're supposed to be in recovery!"   
"Well I wanted a walk" Ash answered sarcastically.   
"Don't mess with me Ash" Butch told him. Still holding his arms, Butch frog-marched Ash to Giovanni's office. Ash tried to get Butch off his arms, but he was far stronger seeing as he was older. They entered and stood in front of Giovanni.   
"Why are you up Ash? You were told to stay in the recovery section" Giovanni demanded.   
"I didn't want to stay there and I don't see why I have to stay where I don't want to" Ash said.   
"You stay where you are because that's where I tell people you are dammit!" Giovanni shouted slamming a fist down on his desk. "As long as you are here, you will do as I say!"   
"Well I never wanted to be here in the 1st place! I didn't have a choice! If I did I would of left the 1st day I was here!" Ash shouted just as angry.   
"Get out of my sight! When I feel you are ready you can see your Pokemon again, now get out!" Giovanni fumed. Butch had never seen him so angry. He lead Ash out of the office and back to his room. When Butch had left, Ash threw himself against the door relentlessly. He was completely blinded by rage. Pikachu wasn't in the room and Totodile was gone too. Passing Rockets could hear him shouting threats and pounding the door. They had never heard someone act so madly. For the rest of the afternoon Ash pounded the door with out stopping, until he was so exhausted that he couldn't carry on. He sat on the bed looking around. Since he had never explored the room properly, he had failed to noticed a small vent shaft in the top left corner until now. A plan slowly formed in his head. It wouldn't work without Pikachu, so he had to wait. Finally he fell asleep.   
Brock was also tired. He had spent the day out searching for Ash as well as trying to cheer Misty up, which had work a bit. He was now looking after Togepi whilst she had a shower. Delia had gone out shopping for food seeing as Nurse Joy had asked her to. Brock sat in their room by himself (well not completely seeing as he had Togepi who had fallen asleep on his lap). This was rare as Togepi usually only went to sleep with Misty. But then Brock had looked after him before he hatched, so it wasn't surprising really. He wondered what Misty and Delia would do if Ash wasn't found. He guessed that they would probably keep looking. Brock knew he would. He also thought about why Ash had run. He knew that there was something wrong, else Ash would have been there with them by now. Something was stopping him, though what it could be puzzled Brock. Misty had come out of the shower refreshed, to find Brock staring into space. She waved her hand up and down in front of him. He shook his head and smiled at her.   
"That must've been some pretty heavy thinking you were doin there" she laughed.   
"It was. I don't think I've ever thought for that long" he joked.   
"Well just don't do it too often else you could hurt yourself" she answered pulling a face of mock seriousness. "I'll take Togepi back now if you want to have a shower."   
"Ok" he answered, "just don't try to think as hard as me cos you could damage somethin!" He ran through the door to avoid the towel that was thrown at him. She placed the sleeping Togepi on her bed and stood in front of a mirror whilst brushing her short spiky hair. Yawning loudly, she put her brush down and climbed into bed. Within minutes she was fast asleep. Even when Brock came in and tripped over his trainers loudly she didn't stir. He also got into bed but lay there thinking again for a while until he finally turned over and went to sleep.   
The next morning Ash found he was still alone. No one brought him anything to eat, and only water to drink. He had heard nothing about his Pokemon. For most of the day, he paced up and down the room, his stomach growling the whole time. He had grown quite a bit thinner as he hadn't eaten since almost 2 days ago. He didn't care much that he wasn't being fed, but he was worried that they could be starving his Pokemon. But then he thought about it. They couldn't hurt them, because then he wouldn't do anything for Team Rocket. When he wasn't pacing he was searching his clothes for the tracking device that Cassidy had mentioned. He couldn't find it. The day passed slowly, for him and the searchers out in the City. They had given up looking in the forest, but had decided to concentrate on the City instead.   
The next day proved more eventful. Ash was taken to Giovanni's office 1st thing that day. He was now extremely thin for someone of his size.   
"Ash since you seem to have calmed down, I am letting you have your Pikachu back. He's in your room now" Giovanni explained, " you're not going out on a mission just yet because after your last one, I've decided that you'll stay here for a while longer."   
"Fine with me" Ash replied shrugging. He went back to his room and found Pikachu there waiting for him.   
"Pikapi!" he cried happily, jumping into Ash's outstretched arms. He was hugged fondly.   
"Are you ok Pikachu?" Ash asked quietly. Pikachu nodded. "I'm glad. I've got an idea on how to get us out. See that vent up there? It must lead outside somewhere. If you find a way out, then find Misty and Brock; get them to give you some paper and a pen, so that I can tell them where we are and what's been goin on, ok?" he explained his idea carefully.   
"Pikachu pika pika" Pikachu said that he would.   
"Ok. Let's do it" Ash said confidently. He stood on his bed and opened the cover of the vent. Pikachu climbed into the tunnel. "Try to be quick ok?" he instructed. Pikachu nodded then ran off down the small turn. "I'm countin you" Ash whispered.   
Pikachu had run a fair way down the tunnels, until he came to one that when he looked through the cover, he could see daylight. He pushed the cover and it opened. Carefully he jumped out of it and onto the ground below. He sped off in the direction he thought was the Police station.   
Misty and Brock were there instead of out searching. Delia would have gone too but Nurse Joy had asked for her help. They were sitting on the benches both deep in thought. Suddenly, Pikachu came speeding in through the door and skidded to a halt in front of Misty.   
"Pikachupi!" he cried happily.   
"Pikachu! Where have you been? Is Ash ok? Where is he?" she asked excitedly. Pikachu made small gestures with his paws, trying to make Misty understand what he wanted. At that moment, Jesse, James and Meowth walked past slowly. Misty ran outside.   
"Meowth could you please translate what Pikachu's saying? It's really important" she asked urgently.   
"Why should I?" he asked moodily.   
"Because Ash went missing about a week ago and Pikachu's been with him, so he's the only one who knows where Ash is" she explained.   
"So that's why we couldn't find any of you anywhere else! I suppose we could help you out......" Jesse said thoughtfully.   
"Great! Meowth could translate please?" Misty asked.   
"Yeah ok" he walked up to Pikachu and started talking to him. Constantly nodding, he finally said, "Pikachu needs paper and a pen so Ash can write what's been goin on."   
"He doesn't need it if your gonna help us. We can write to him to say what we'll do" Brock suggested, "what's been goin on Pikachu?" Meowth turned back to Pikachu and listened to what he said. Nodding and "hmming" a lot, he finally explained it to the others.   
"Apparently, he's been working with the rest of Team Rocket. He didn't want to, but our leader didn't give him a choice. He's been working with Butch and Cassidy on "special" missions. He's had his other Pokemon taken from him and has to complete these "missions" in order to get them back. When he was seen a few days ago he was out doin one of them, but he was told to run from any of you guys. Loads more has happened, but he can't get out by himself without bein caught" Meowth explained.   
"What! Ash is part of Team Rocket? I can't believe our own ignorance!" Jesse said angrily.   
"That's it! Butch and Cassidy have humiliated us more than you lot and I'm tired of it so I say we help" James added.   
"Great! So here's what we'll do......" Brock instructed.   
Pikachu went back to the vent and made his way back to Ash. He had a small piece of paper explaining what Misty and co were going to do. He reached their room and gave Ash the paper. Ash took it and read it carefully. It said:   
  
Ash,   
We've got Jesse, James and Meowth helping us so tell Pikachu what you want done and Meowth'll translate it. We need to know more about where you are and what being done. From there, we can come up with an escape plan. Send Pikachu with a message.   
Misty.   
  
"Good work Pikachu. I need you to get them to send food for you and me seeing as we ain't gettin nothin at this end. Tell them to send Jesse and James in, but they can't be seen by Butch, Cassidy or Giovanni. They need to find my Pokemon and clothes, because these ones have a tracking thing in them somewhere and if Misty and Brock are planning to come then they need Rocket uniforms too; then they can follow you to find which building it is, ok?" Ash ordered.   
"Pi Pikachu" Pikachu replied.   
"Ok you'd better go" Ash said quietly. He lifted the cover up again and Pikachu ran quietly out again. He was back after around half an hour with food and another message which said:   
  
We're sending Jesse and James in. They'll find your stuff and you, but they can't do anything to get you out yet. We'll come in afterwards when everything's ready. It'll be tonight so be ready to leave quickly.   
Brock.   
  
Ash bit hungrily into a sandwich whilst watching Pikachu eat his food. He couldn't believe how nice food tasted after being without it for so long. He smiled at the satisfaction that played on both their faces and at the determination that shone in his own eyes. He would never become a proper member of Team Rocket, not ever, for anyone.   
Jesse And James were in the Team Rocket HQ. Meowth hadn't come because he was far too noticeable and if Pikachu needed to talk to them, then he would be needed by Brock and Misty. They had crept silently in through a window at the back of the building and had appeared in a small dark room. Jesse lead the way out and they walked along the corridor looking in unoccupied rooms to see if they could find the locker room. After 10 minutes of searching, they found it and that Ash did have a locker and in it were his normal clothes and surprisingly his Pokemon. James picked up Ash's clothes while Jesse picked up the Pokemon. She nodded to James and they made their way along the corridor, through a door marked "Sleeping Quarters" and down the next corridor. Names were printed alongside the doors, some of which they recognised. The rooms near the door that they had entered through belonged to the higher ranked Rockets and the further down ones were the lower ones. Finally, James spotted the door which had Ash's name beside it. He knocked quietly on the door to see if he could hear a response from Ash. He heard shuffling inside. Jesse turned the small brass key and opened the door. Ash was standing by the bed quietly. He nodded a greeting to them.   
"Are you ok?" James whispered.   
"Yeah for the moment. When's Misty and Brock comin too?" Ash answered.   
"Tonight around midnight. Here are your Pokemon and clothes," Jesse said passing them both to him, "You need to be ready to leave the moment we get here, ok?"   
"Yeah sure. I'll be ready" Ash whispered back. Jesse and James moved towards the door. "Thanks for doin this you guys. I know you could get in load of trouble for doin it, so I really appreciate it" he said before they left.   
"Don't mention it" James replied smiling broadly, "it'll shoot Butch and Cassidy one up the ass and we couldn't get a better chance to do that!"   
Ash smiled back. Butch would never know who did rescue Ash and he would always wonder. He could imagine the look on Giovanni's face when they found that he was gone. James shut the door behind him and they made their way back to the window which they had entered through. Mentally he hoped that tonight would go as smoothly as this trip had gone. They got back to the Pokemon Centre at 9:30pm. On the way back they had picked up some spare Rocket uniforms which Misty and Brock were now trying on. Misty's was a bit baggy but it would do. She looked at Brock and laughed. He had entered her room and he looked comical in a black uniform, but then so did she. They hadn't told Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny what they were doing, but felt that they had to tell Delia, who had said that they should do anything to help her son. So while Jesse, James, Meowth, Misty and Brock were going to get Ash, she had agreed to look after Togepi. Nurse Joy had 2 spare Poke Gears which Misty had one of and Delia had the other so they could inform her if they got in trouble or something serious happened. They were ready, now all they had to do was wait.   
Meanwhile, Ash was in big trouble. Butch had found that Ash's locker was empty of clothes and Pokemon and he was looking for someone to shout at. He had gone straight to Ash and had asked him, none to kindly, where his stuff was. Ash had told him that he didn't know, though he had hidden them in the vent which Pikachu had used to get in and out of the building. Butch was angry anyway and this answer seemed to enrage him. He struck Ash across his face with a tightly clenched fist. Ash fell to the floor from of the force of the hit. He touched his already bruising cheek and stood quickly. He glared angrily at Butch and launched himself on him. Ash punched wildly at Butch's stomach, hoping to knock the wind from him. Bent over with one hand across his stomach, Butch hit at Ash's face repeatedly. He was far stronger than Ash, who was beginning to feel the force of the blows, but he still fought on. Finally Cassidy came to the room and found them fighting. With the help of some Grunts, she split them apart. Ash was breathing heavily, but Butch still wanted to fight. He was lead outside and Ash's door was closed so he couldn't go back in.   
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Cassidy shouted at Butch.   
"He deserved it! He knows where his Pokemon are but he's denying it!" Butch shouted back.   
"How could he dumb ass? He's been locked inna room and has only been outside it with me, you or another Rocket member, so before you go beating him to a pulp, think about that ok? Giovanni is gonna be so mad with you about this" she explained loudly, "Come on lets go and get you cleaned up, you're a mess. I'll get someone to see to Ash." They walked off and left a Grunt to lock Ash's door. Ash sat on his bed, with his face sore and bruised and an eye swollen shut. He also had blood running from a small cut on his lip and another on his bruised cheek. He smiled weakly at Pikachu who looked at him with concern.   
"Pikapi Pika Pika Pikachu Pi?" He asked quietly pointing to Ash's face.   
"I'll be fine Pikachu don't worry about it" he replied still half smiling.   
About 5 minutes later a different nurse came to Ash's room and started to clean his cuts and bruises. She put a large cotton pad over the largest bruise that was situated on his cheek.   
"That's the best I can do for you Ash. I can't do much about your eye" she said smiling faintly at him.   
"That's ok, thanks. Better than what the other doctors and nurses do, they'd take one look at me and stab me with so many needles, I'd become a human pincushion!" he replied gratefully.   
"I don't believe in giving loads of injections for no reason, unlike some of the nurses here" she answered still smiling, "You should get some rest. Those bruises are gonna be painful in the morning, so take some of these when you wake up, they'll help." She gave some small pain killers to Ash and then left. Not all the people here are bad , he thought to himself when she had gone. Next to visit him was Cassidy.   
"Giovanni wants to see you" she said flatly. Ash stood up and followed her with Pikachu walking beside him, so he didn't hurt Ash by sitting on his shoulder. They entered Giovanni's office quietly and stood in front of him.   
"Good God Ash! You look worse than I thought," Giovanni exclaimed.   
"It feels worse" Ash mumbled quietly.   
"I was going to send you on your first new mission tomorrow but because of Butch's behaviour and your state I've decided not to sent you on it until you've healed more" Giovanni explained. Ash gave a sigh of relief. "Go back to your room and get some sleep. I will tell Butch that he is not allowed to see you alone again without my permission." Ash nodded his thanks and walked out of the room, with Cassidy behind him. When they were back at his room, Cassidy told him that no one would visit him until morning so he could get a proper rest.   
Once Cassidy had gone, Ash lifted up the vent and let Pikachu push his clothes down onto the bed. He gave Ash his Poke balls and jumped down himself. Ash changed as quickly as he could without his causing his bruises to hurt, seeing as the weren't just on his face but on his chest and stomach too. Back in his old clothes Ash felt more relieved and relaxed. He attached his Poke balls to his belt and checked to see that his Pokedex and badges were still in his jacket. He sat on the bed slowly. He was ready. Now he just had to wait.   
"This way" James directed Misty through the window. She climbed in carefully and landed next to Jesse and Meowth. Next came Brock with James coming in last. Jesse lead the way down the corridors, avoiding other Rockets and finally stopping at Ash's door. James opened it quietly and they went in. Misty gasped when she saw Ash.   
"What happened Ash?" she whispered.   
"It don't feel as bad as it looks" he answered quietly.   
"It looks like hell" Brock commented.   
"Oh then it looks exactly how it feels" Ash muttered.   
"Come on, let's go" Meowth whispered. They all moved towards the door with him leading. They walked quickly back along the corridor with Ash in between Misty and Brock. They turned a corner and Meowth almost ran into a Grunt guard. Luckily he was sleeping. Meowth sighed quietly and tip-toed past him. The others followed suit. As Misty went past him, he stirred. She held her breath and stopped. He was only dreaming. She moved on and followed Ash. Misty felt relieved for the first time in almost 2 weeks. The came to the window which they had entered through. Jesse held it open while Meowth scrambled through. James and the others followed. Jesse took one last look inside and jumped out, landing without a sound next to James. Ash was breathing heavier than Brock, Misty, Pikachu and Team Rocket, seeing as he was tired and sore. They walked on down the alley towards the Pokemon Centre. Ash had expected someone to find them when they were leaving but no one did. They reached the Centre and he sat wearily down on the seats, breathing heavily.   
"Ash! Oh Ash honey you're here!" called a familiar voice. He turned to see his Mom running towards him still holding Togepi.   
"Mom! What are you doin here?" he asked.   
"Officer Jenny phoned and said you were missing so I came straight away. I've been so worried. What happened to you, you look awful!" she explained. "He smiled crookedly and said, "I had a fight while I was there tonight. I didn't start it though."   
"As long as you stood up for yourself" she smiled back. She hugged him gently so that she didn't hurt his bruises. Ash winced slightly but didn't say anything. The others were actually standing where he couldn't see them because of his swollen eye. He turned and smiled with gratitude.   
"Thanks you guys, you're the best. Without you I'd still be with Butch and Cassidy. I punched Butch in the stomach a few times for you James, though I didn't seem to do that much damage to him" he said meaningfully.   
"Thanks, I've always wanted to do that, but at least someone did" James laughed. Ash looked at Misty happily. He was glad to see her again, Brock too.   
"We'd better tell officer Jenny that you're back. She should also know about Team Rocket being in the City and being responsible for your disappearance. We'll do that if you want and you can sleep" Brock suggested. Ash nodded and walked slowly off to their bedroom.   
"I'll go with Ash and look after him if you want do that" Delia said; before following her son.   
"We'd better go," Jesse said quietly, "If our Boss found out that we helped Ash escape then he'd kill us for sure."   
"Ok we won't tell anyone. We'll see you soon" Misty replied, "and thanks for helping us find him."   
"Any time. Y'know we'll never be far away" James answered. Meowth lead the way out, and so Team Rocket walked off again knowing that they had done something good for a change.   
Back at the Team Rocket HQ, Giovanni was fuming. He eventually calmed down and spoke to Cassidy and Butch.   
"We tried to make him part of Team Rocket. He would have made a great member, but he was too good of heart and his will not to be part was too strong. We'll leave him. We must leave here, he's probably told the Police about us so we cannot stay" he explained. Butch and Cassidy nodded in agreement.   
When officer Jenny went to the building the next day, there was no sign of Team Rocket, the building was completely empty. She had no information which could tell her where Giovanni had gone. Ash stayed at the Pokemon Centre for another week, healing and giving statements. Delia stayed whilst this was going on and then went home once she was sure that Ash was ok. Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu carried on to the Johto League. Life was back to normal.   
  
Okey Dokey then, that was my 2nd Fan Fic. I personally think that it's better than my 1st but you may not think so. I took me many hours and way too much thinking to write! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. So until next time.........you'll just have to wait! 


End file.
